Advice from military moms?

[Angel in FL]

My son, the baby boy left Monday morning for USMC boot camp. He won't be 18 until next month but this has been his dream since 6th grade. He joined last summer and has been in the delayed entry program preparing to go. He graduated from high school on 5/23 and then left Monday.

 

My heart is breaking. Yes, my other kids are still here but I am having a very hard time with this. We prepare our kids to be on their own but the finality of this is just crushing me. I think it would be different if he had left to go to college because I'd know he would be back or if he moved into an apartment across town. But the thought that my son walked out the door at 3am this past Monday as a 17 year old and will never actually be home for good again is really almost more than I can take.

 

How have you all handled this?

[SailorMom]

I'm married in, not with a son - but I know many who either are both a military mom and wife, or only a mom (in fact - neighbor has a son in Afghanistan right now).

First, you handle it with pride. Second, it will get easier - you'll be surprised how much he misses you guys and how often he visits :). My mother-inlaw had a tough time with it for a while - but after a couple of years it was routine. Lots of phone calls, cards, she sent many batches of cookies :)

Hang in there.

[Tammyla]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

My son, the baby boy left Monday morning for USMC boot camp. He won't be 18 until next month but this has been his dream since 6th grade. He joined last summer and has been in the delayed entry program preparing to go. He graduated from high school on 5/23 and then left Monday.

 

My heart is breaking. Yes, my other kids are still here but I am having a very hard time with this. We prepare our kids to be on their own but the finality of this is just crushing me. I think it would be different if he had left to go to college because I'd know he would be back or if he moved into an apartment across town. But the thought that my son walked out the door at 3am this past Monday as a 17 year old and will never actually be home for good again is really almost more than I can take.

 

How have you all handled this?

[blondeviolin]

I'm also a spouse. My MIL had a hard time with it at first too. To be honest, basic will be worse than most anything else because they limit the amount of time they get to talk. It is meant to be a shock to him so it is an easier transition from the civilian world to the military. Someone should tell him (and therefore, you should know too) that you NEVER judge your military experience by what you experience in training. The "training" portion of the military experience is completely different than the real-life aspect of it all.

 

To be honest, my husband's job has kept us in Oklahoma for the past 5.5 years with another 2 years here still. AFTER the training, we moved here, bought a house and have set down roots just fine. To be honest, I would LOVE to move (that's the nomad in me), but we are here. Mostly, my husband's job is the typical 40-hours-a-week, weekends-off, occasional-business-trip type of job. In a lot of ways, to my in-laws, it only differs by the fact that my husband deploys occasionally. He still calls them regularly, we visit at least once a year, etc, etc.

 

He WILL be back. Be proud of him and his decision to serve our country (and tell him many of us on this board thank him for his service). Write him TONS of letters as those are a life-saver in basic. If it helps to think of it as a college experience, do that, because he will receive college credit for what he is doing there.

 

*hugs* Take it day by day and soon you'll be at his graduation bursting with pride. That's what makes it worth it.